How to Care for Your Child's Mouth Before Their First Tooth

Posted on 7/23/2017 by Fariba Mutschler

Waiting for that first tooth to pop through is exciting for parents, and other than the teething part, babies seem to like it, too. However, that is not when a parent should start trying to take care of their baby's mouth. That should begin as early as you can. Don't wait for teeth to be erupting through the gums to start trying to keep everything in their mouth healthy. Instead, begin within a month of birth, just cleaning the baby’s gums.

Caring for Your Child’s Gums

By getting a clean washcloth wet with water, and rubbing it across their gums, you can pick up any debris left behind from whatever liquid your child is drinking. Both breast milk and formula are slightly sweet, meaning the natural sugars can go a long way towards harming those developing teeth if left to sit there. When you clean up the gums with a washcloth, you remove those sugars from the mouth. This lets the developing teeth beneath the gums come in properly, and most importantly, come in healthy.

If you aren’t quite sure what approach to use, contact your child’s pediatric dentist and ask them. They may tell you that you want to let them chew on it, or they may tell you how often each day this practice should be done. Typically, you should do this twice per day, just like you brush your teeth, but each child’s mouth is slightly different. Chewing on the washcloth can also help put rough pressure on the gums, alleviating a lot of the pain that comes with teething. This can bring about a sense of relief for your child, and help you make it through that rough patch a bit easier. For more information, talk to their dentist at your child’s next appointment. If you have any questions, or if you would like to learn more, please call us today at 971-470-0045.

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Specializing in dentistry for infants, children, adolescents and special needs patients